Flatiron



Apr. 10, 1923.

w. .1. TUR'ENNE FLATIRON F1186 Der) Mai InvenTor. red J. Turenne AUys a chusetts,

Patented Apr. lltl), 1323.

UNHTETD) STATES FRED Il'. TURENNE, OF DANVERS, MASSACHUSETTS.

FLATIRON.

Application filed December 17,1919. Serial No. 345,479.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILFRED J. TURENNE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Danvers, county of Essex, State of Massahave invented an Improvement in Flatirons, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to improvements in flat irons and the object thereof is to provide a flat iron with means for indicating the temperature of the pressing surface of the iron. y

In the use of flat irons, and particularly those which are automatically heated, the temperature of the iron is likely to vary through a wide range according to the conditions in which the iron is used. If the iron is not sufficiently hot considerable time is required to perform the pressing and the pressjing is unsatisfactory, while, on the other hand, if the iron is too hot the goods are likely to be scorched. When fabrics are moistened before pressing, or when a moist cloth is used, the flat iron may be used at a much higher temperature than where it is applied to a dry fabric. The object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide means by which the temperature of the iron can be observed and the iron used at the temperature best suited to the conditions under which the pressing operation is being performed.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is disclosed herein as applied to an electrically heated iron, but it will be understood that it may be applied to any form of iron, whether automatically heated or not.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal median sectional view of an electrically heated flat iron embodying my invention, the handle being shown in elevation,

Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the fiat iron on lines 2-2 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of the thermostatic element and the means for actuating an index by theexpansion or consubjected to different temperatures.

Fig. 4 is a detail end elevation of the same. The flat iron illustrated in the accompanying drawing comprises a base portion 1 of the general triangular shape of the usual flat iron, having a pressing surface 2 and traction of said thermostatic element when super-posed weight sections 3 and 4 which are secured by bolts, or in any other suitable manner, to the base portion 1. A grid 5 of insulating refractory material contains the usual heating instrumentality 6, such as a strand or coil of wire of high resistance through which an electric current is transmltted from suitable terminals 7 and 8 leading to a switch plug socket 9 mounted upon suitable standard 10 carried by the base. The switch plug socket 9 may also have an extension 11 secured to the handle 12 of the flat iron.

The handle 12 may be of the usual general cylindrical form and provided with supporting straps or hangers 13 secured to the body portion of the fiat iron in any suitable manner. As illustrated herein the lower ends of the straps 13 are bent to provide flat portions 14 which lie upon the upper surface of the section 4 of the flat iron and preferably are provided with down-turned and oppositely curved ends 15 which extend through an aperture 16 in the section 4 of the flat iron and engage the under-surface of said section.

lhe section 3 of the flat iron is provided with a central longitudinally extending slot 17 which is in alinement with the aperture 16, and the base portion 1 is provided with a central longitudinally extending recess 18 which is also in alinement with the slot 17 and aperture 16, in the sections 3 and 4 of the iron. The recess 18 extends nearly through the base member so that the thermostatic element which is supported within the flat iron will be located in proximity to the pressing surface of the base portion 1 of the fiat iron and below the plane of the heating unit. By thus locating the thermostatical element in proximity to the press ing surface of the iron and below the plane of the heating unit said element is subjected to substantially the same temperature as that of the pressing surface, since the heat of the radiating unit is conducted through the base member of the iron and little, if any heat,'is radiated directly from the heating unit to the thermostatic element.

suitable thermostatic device may be introduced into the recess 18 and provided with means which may be easily observed for indicating the temperature of the heating surface of the flat iron. A convenient mechanism which is illustrated herein comprises a bimetallic thermostatic instrumentality 19 which preferably is constructed of a fiat plate of brass welded to a flat plate of steel, said bimetallic instrumentality being secured at one end by rivets 20 to the lower end of a bracket 21 which is suitably supported within the recess 18, so that the thermostatic instrumentality extends in substantial parallelism with the pressing'surface 2 of the base of the iron and desirably is so mounted as to bend vertically when subjected to variations in temperature.-

The bracket 21 as illustrated herein is secured to the central portion of a cover plate 22 which "encloses the uppersections 3 and 4 of the iron, and rests at its edges upon a ledge 23 extending around the base portion of the iron.

.The temperature indicating scale or dial 24 is located upon the central portion of the cover plate 22 and is enclosed by a transparent crystal or cover 25. An index 26, operated by the movement of the thermostatic instrumentality when subjected to different temperatures, is disposed in co-operative relation to the scale or dial so that the temperature of the heating surface of the iron may be readily observed.

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for transmitting the movement of the thermostatic instrumentality to the index. The preferred mechanism which is illustrated herein comprises a link 27 which is attached at its lower end to the free end of the thermostatic instrumentality 19 and at its upper end to a disc 28 which is pivotally mounted upon a stud 29 carried by the bracket 21.

- The disc 28 is provided with a flange 3O having a toothed periphery which in effect forms a gear, the teeth of which are positioned to engage the teeth of a pinion 31 which is mounted upon a vertical staff 32 to the upper end of which the index 26 is secured.

When the flat iron is subjected to heat, either from an external source, or from an internal instrumentality such as that illustrated herein, the thermostatic instrumentality will be affected, and by the unequal expansion of the elements of the thermostatic instrumentality the free end will be bent upwardly ordownwardly thereby raising or lowering the link 27 and causing the disc 28 to rotate about its axis 29.- The rotation of the disc 28 consequently transmits a rotation to the pinion 32 and moves the index over the scale or dial.

By reason. of the fact that the thermostatic instrumentality is located in proximity to the pressing surface, the temperature scale upon the dial may be suitably graduated to indicate the approximate temperature of the pressing surface of the iron.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention disclosed herein is illustrative and not restrictive, and that other forms of thermostatic instrumentalities may be employed, and that various other arrangements of parts of the fiat iron may be made within the meaning and scope of the following claims.

It'will readily be understood that-in the use of the device the iron may be heated in any usual manner until the desired temperature is reached, whereupon the iron may be removed from the heating device, or if the iron is heated electrically it may be disconnected from the electric. circuit and used inthe usual manner, or if the iron is used with the heating instrumentality in operation the operator can readily observe when a dangerously high temperature is attained and may then disconnect the switch plug from the socket 9 and thereby prevent further heating of the iron and consequently avoid burning or scorching of the articles being pressed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

1. A flat iron comprising a base section having a central recess, a superimposed section, a heating unit between said base and superimposed section surrounding said re cess, a thermostatic instrumentality and means for supporting the same in said recessbelow the plane of said heating unit and temperature indicating means operable by said thermostatic instrumentality.

2. A fiat iron comprising a base section having a central recess extending in proximity to the pressing surface, a superimposed section, a heating unit between said base and superimposed section surrounding said recess, a thermostatic instrumentality and means for supporting the same in said recess in parallelism with said pressing surface whereby said thermostatic instrumentality will be capable of movement when subjected to variations in temperature and temperature indicating means operable by the movements of said thermostatic instrumentality.

3. A flat iron comprising a base member having a recess extending in proximity to the pressing surface of the flat iron, a member superimposed upon said base having a slot registering with said recess, a bracket extending into said recess, a thermostatic instrumentality fixedly mounted at one end upon sa d bracket and having its free end capable of movement when subjected to different temperatures, a dial upon the surface of the fiat iron, an index in co-operative reimity to the pressing surface of the flat iron,

ma am;

a member superimposed upon said base having a central slot registering with said recess, a cover plate enclosing said superimposed member, a heating unit intermediate of said base and superimposed member and having an aperture in alinement with said slot and recess, a bracket carried by said cover plate extending into said recess, a thermostatic instrumentality fixedly mounted upon said bracket having a portion capable of vertical movement when subjected to different temperatures, a dial upon the upper surface of said cover plate, an index in co-operative relation to said dial and means operable by the vertical movement of said thermostatic instrumentality for actuating said index.

5. A flat iron comprising a base having a recess extending in proximity to the pressing surface of the fiat iron, a superimposed section, a heating unit between said base and superimposed section's surrounding said recess, a thermostatic instrumentality, means for supporting the same in said recess below the plane of said heating unit and means operable by the movement of said thermostatic instrumentality, when subjected to diti'erent temperatures, to indicate the temperature of the pressing surface of the Hat iron.

ln testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

Wl LFRED J. TURENNE. 

